Get the Most Out of LinkedIn Groups

Get the Most Out of LinkedIn GroupsGet the Most Out of LinkedIn Groups24Whether youre looking to meet people in your profession, other job seekers like you, or just trying to learn more about a particular topic,LinkedIn Groupscan meet your needs.Just like the site itself, LinkedIns Groups are professional-only discussion boards where people go to network, learn, and engage one aleidher. Its one of the fastest and easiest ways to start networking and meeting new people through LinkedIn, which is really the whole point of the siteLinkedIn has a robust help section to guide you on any questions you may have about LinkedIn Groups. Below were going over a few ways to utilize these groups to your advantage.Heres how to get the most out of LinkedIn GroupsFind groups to join.There are two ways to find groups to join. The first option is searching for a group. You can do this by using the search box at the top of your LinkedIn homepage. Try searching forkeywords related to your career, your c ollege alma mater(s), or professional associations. After hitting the search button, click on the Groups reiter to see what comes up.You can also see what groups LinkedIn recommends to you based on your profile. From the LinkedIn homepage, click on the Work icon at the top right and select Groups. Click Discover see what LinkedIn recommends for you.Its okay not to jump right in.Once youve joined your groups, check out yourlist of conversations, which highlights the discussions happening and even points out your most active groups. Its wise to start off just lurking, meaning that you read through the active discussions, see who the groups influencers are, and gauge the overall tone of the group before diving into the discussions. Most groups will let you start a new topic or comment on other posts.Make your comments knowledgeable, helpful, and professional.Discussions are a fantastic place to be visible and highlight your skills and expertise to a broad audience. You can answer a que stion, add your opinion to a discussion, share advice with someone seeking help, comment on a posted article or all of the above, says Lindsey Pollack, a LinkedIn ambassador.LinkedIn isnt a place for sounding off with negative opinions or controversial topics. Think before you type, and make sure what youre saying is valuable, adds to the conversation, and would be viewed positively by kompetenzprofil employers and networking contacts. It also helps to use proper grammar and punctuation, and to not type in all CAPS.Build one-on-one relationships.Even though LinkedIn Groups are mostly a group environment, the option to Reply Privately exists so that you can send a message directly to someone with whom you want to network and maybe build a relationship. Pollack reminds users that, Your goal is not to directly ask for a job or client, but to network in a mutually beneficial way with someone who shares similar professional interests.Here is Pollaks example of how you can start a private conversation with someone from a LinkedIn GroupDear Greg, Thanks for sharing your question about how to find a social media marketing job in the Denver area. Im looking for a similar role, but in the Boston area. Perhaps we can chat sometime and compare notes?If youre not using LinkedIn Groups yet, its time to get started. The LinkedIn Groupis a great place to test the waters as you begin learning more about Groups. And check out ourthis post on networking on LinkedInfor more great tipsRachel Jay contributed to this post.OriginallypublishedJuly 5, 2012. Updated November 9, 2017.